Hand grenade or aerial bomb



Feb. 14, 1933. J w YOUNG 1,897,948

HAND GRENADE OR AERIAL BOMB Filed Oct. 15 1951 Patent Fe. 14, 1933 JOHN W. YOUNG, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T0 FEDERAL TORIES, INCL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLV EANDGRENADE OR a ccaroaa'rroar or nanawaaano i i Application filed October 15, 1981. Serial No. 589,061.

powder, collo ion and acetone or other suitable i'gnitible booster mixture applied to the inner surface of said tube and adapted to seal the openings thereof, a mass of moldable ignitible material placed in said container surrounding the tube and solidified therein adapted to emit (gias upon ignition, and means for igniting sai booster material to ignite the solidified mass, whereby the opening through said tube constitutes a draft means and insures the complete ignition of the.

solidified mass.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a hand grenade or aerialbomb of this character comprising an outer foraminous cylinder and an inner centrally dis o'sed foraminous tubular c linder or core and providing a centrally isposed opening therethrough constituting a chimne means, an ignitible booster material applie to the inner surface of said core and outer surface of said container efiecting a sealin coating therefor, a solidified mass of ignitible gas producing material in said outer container, and means for igniting said booster, whereby said core member constitutes a draft and gas discharge medium adapted to intensify the ignition of said solidified mass by means of said booster, the partial discharge of the gases through a said foraminous outer container and ignition of the booster thereon, together with the booster on saidcore contributing to heat said container, prevent ready handling thereof after setting ofi of the device, and insure complete ignition and combustion of said mass. With these and other objects in View, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construc-' tion, combination and arran ement. of parts, I

hereinafter more fully descri and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which:

Fig.1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through a grenade constructed in accord ance with my improved invention.

Fig. 2 is a to plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a agmenta central vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of container.

Practice has demonstrated that grenades of this general type wherein a booster is used to initially ignite the ignitible mass, that the complete ignition of the latter is often not as expeditiously effected as it should be, and it was to overcome this and other deficiencies by providin a grenade including a container, a solidified mass of ignitible material within the container, a booster device com rising a foraminous tubular member exten ing through said mass and to or beyond the outer end surfaces of said container, and having a booster material ap lied to its inner surface, filling and sealing t e mesh or other openings extending through the wall thereof for igniting said mass and means for igniting said booster, whereby said tubular member constitutes a chimney, the draft therethrough not only effecting the simultaneous, rapid, continuous and complete i ition of the booster and mass, but contri uting to efiect the forced and continuous discharge of the gas liberated from said mass, that I desi ed the device forming the subject-matter 0 this invention.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there is shown a metal container A, a tubular booster device B, and a firing or fuse mechanism G.

The metal container A is preferably cylindrical in configuration and is formed. with .a top 5 and bottom 6, which are formed with the centrally disposed aligned openings 7 and 8, respectively.

Suitably mounted in openings 7 and .8 and forming a continuation of said openings tlfrough the containenA is the tubular booster and draft device B preferably formed of any suitable foraminous material such, for instance, as metal gauze 9 with its ends 10 and 11 formed of the same material, and which may be detachable ordispensed with if desired. When said tube 13 is ope'ratively positioned the said ends 10 and -11 may be ush with the respective ends 5 and 6, or they may extend be 0nd the surface thereof, accor'din to 't e particular requirements. Thoug metal gauze is preferably designated as the material from which the device B is constructed, it is to be understood that it may be constructed from any suitable material perforated to produce a foraminous effect, and the mesh openings or perforations '12 are designed to be filled with and sealed by a booster material 13 of any suitable ready ignitible substance, such as black powder mixed with collodion, acetone, and the like. The booster material 13 is applied as a coating to the interior surface of the tube, sealing the o enings therein and extending through the oramina to the outer s'urface thereof,

for apurpose hereinafter more fully appearing. When the booster device B above described has been 0 eratively positioned in container A, asuita le ignitible material or composition adapted to emit gas upon ignition, is placed in said container and surrounding said booster device and is reduced into a molded or solidified mass 14 by tamping 'or by a suitable solidifying agent mixed with said material, as will be clear without further explanation.

A sultable firing; or fuse mechanism C is mounted in any well known manner on the container A, including a suitable electrical contact medium or manually operable means 15 for setting oif fuse element 16 and secured to the upper edge or top 5, with said fuse element 16 adjacent the end lO'and material 13 of booster device B, said fuse adapted to effect ignition of booster 13, which in turn ignites the solidified mass 14 to liberate the gas therefrom, as will directly more fully appear. The coating material 13 is adapted I to extend beyond the upper surface of the mass 14 or the tube adjacent its upper end may be without perforations, so that the booster material '13 after being ignited will burn for a predetermined time interval be fore igniting the mass 14.

In Fi 3 is shown a modified form of container a similar in every respect to container A except that it is formed throughout its surface area with a plurality of perforations 17 which permit the escape of a certain portion of the hot gases as they are emitted from said mass, said openings being sealed with a coating-of said booster material'13 applied to the outer surface of said container, and the ignition of said booster and mass contributing to quickly heat the at the present time, I prefer to use a mixture comprising a halogen derivative of acetophenone, such a'fluorine, iodine, bromacetophenone, chloracetophenone or toxic gas producing substance such as diphenylaminechloroaisine, and a fuel such as nitroglycerine or gun powder;

'From the above it is apparent that I have designed an improved hand grenade or aerial bomb, which in addition to its function as such is designed to ignite or set fire to whatever it comes in contact with after being set off, comprising in effect an annular U-shaped container for a solidified mass adapted-to emit as upon ignition, a foraminous tubular ooster device extending centrally through said container, constituting a chimney or draft'medium with its inner surface coated wth a suitable ignitible booster material extending through said foi'amina to contact said mass for igniting the same, and means for igniting said booster, the coating of booster material extending slightly beyond the surface and surface coating of the container, whereby a predetermined time interval elapses after ignition of said booster before said mass is ignited thereby, the draft through said tube adapted to intensify the ignition of the booster and to effect a more rapid discharge of the gas from said container, the foramina effecting communicamo tion between the tube and container to permit ignitible contact of the booster with the mass, and likewise, the escape of the liberated gas from the container to the interior of said tube for discharge to the surrounding atmosphere, as will be clear without further explanation.

Although in practice I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing and referred to m the 'llt) above. description as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing that the consitions concurrent with the adoption of my invention will necessarily vary, I desire to' emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts, may be rea sorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this inventon.

Havmg thus described my invention, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims:

1; A hand grenade comprising a container, a booster ldevlce comprising a foraminous tubular member, disposed centrall through said container and to the outer sur aces thereof, a mass of ignitible material in said container surrounding said tubular member, a.

coating of ignitible booster material applied memes 3 to the inner surface of said tube and filling the foramina thereof for igniting said bo'ost- 1 er material, whereby said tubular member constitutes a draft medium to efi'ect complete 5 simultaneous ignition of the booster material and solidified mass and discharge of the gas from said container.

2. A hand grenade com rising a container, a solidified mass of igniti 1e material therein adapted to emit gas vupon ignition, a booster device disposed centrally through said container and mass, said device comprising a foraminous tubular member, a booster coating of ignitible material covering the one surface of said tube and extending through and sealing the foramina thereof, and means for igniting said booster, whereby said booster when ignited is adapted to ignite said solidified mass after a predetermined time interval, and said tubular'member is adapted to constitute a chimney, the draft through which intensifies the continuous ignition of the booster and mass andefiects rapid discharge of the gas from said container.

3. A hand grenade comprising a foraminous outer container, a solidified mass of ignitible material therein adapted to emit gas upon ignition, a foraminous tubular member extending through said container and mass, a 30 coating of ignitible booster material applied to the inner surface of said member and sealing the foramina thereof, said booster material adapted to effect ignition of said mass, and means for igniting said booster material, 35 whereby the ignition of said materials creates a draft through said tubular member effecting discharge of the heated gases therethrough and throughthe foramina of said outer container for heating the same to pre vent ready handling thereof.

4.- A hand grenade or aerial bomb comprising an outer foraminous container, a solidified mass of ignitible material therein adapted to emit gas upon ignition, a foraminous tubular device extending'throu h said container and mass, the exposed sur aces of v the container and tubular device being coat ed with an ignitible booster. material sealingthe respective foramina thereof and upon ignition adapted to ignite said mass, said tubular device additionally constituting a draft and gas discharge medium.

This specification signed this 2nd day of May A. D. 1931. JOHN W YOUNG. 

